Washing-machine.



No. 727,409. PATENTED MAY 5, 1903. J. G. L. MYERS. WASHING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED D110. 11, 1902.

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No. 727,409. v v PATENTED MAY 5, 1903. J. G. L. MYERS. WASHING MACHINE;

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 11 1902.

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a I I I v Q v UNTTED STATES Patented May 5, 1903.

PATENT QFFICE.

JOHN G. L. MYERS, OF OSCEOLA MILLS, PENNSYLVANIA.

WASHING-QMACH'INE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 727,409, dated May 5, 1903.

Application filed December 11, 1902. Serial No. 134,857- Nr. winder To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that 1, JOHN G. L. MYERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Osceola .Mills, in the county of Clearfield and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in \Vashing-Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use'the same.

This invention relates to washing machines, and has for its object to provide an improved construction of mechanism for washing the clothes, such mechanism being simple, durable, and-eificient,easily operated, and adapted to be adjusted to exert agreater or less pressure on the clothes.

With this and other objects in view the inf vention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims. I

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a washing-machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, a portion of the tub or suds-box beingbroke'n away to expose the lower portion of the washing mechanism. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section. Fig. 4 is a detailview of the agitator-shaft and its supporting-sleeve. Fig. 5'is a detail sectional view of the thrust-bearing.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 represents the tub or suds-box of the machine; to which are con nected a series of standards 2, which project upwardly therefrom and are connected by in- \vardly and upwardly extending arms 3 with a bearing-box at, disposed above the tub. Seicured to the bottom of the tub is a bearing 3, provided with a conical socket, in which fits the lower conical end of a vertical driveshaft 5, which is journaled at its upper end in the box 4 and provided with a beveled gear 6, meshing with a similar gear 7 on a power-shaft 8, which shaft is journaled in one of the side walls of the box 4 and in the bearing upon the upper end of a standard 9, rising from one of the arms 3, and is provided with a crank-handle 10, by means of which motion may be imparted to rotate the shaft 5. By providing the shaft 5 with a lower-conical end and the bearing 3 with a conical socket to receive the same a uniform wear upon the shaft and bearing is insnredp and the parts are thus adapted to always fit accurately one within the other. w

The shaft 5 is providedwith an enlarged portion 11, having a longitudinal slot 12 and formed with upper and lower shoulders 13 and 14. Extending through this slot 12 is a horizontal rod or shaft 15, which carries a series of presser wheels or rollers 16, adapted to press upon and agitate the clothes in the tub or suds-box 1. The rod or shaft 15 is adjustable vertically in the slot 12 to correspondingly adjust the rollers to bear with greater or less pressure on the clothes and is connected by pins 17 to the lower bifurcated or forked ends of arms 18, depending from a sleeve 19, encompassing the upper end of the shaft, which is formed with a screw-threaded surface20. Surroundingthisscrew-threaded surface 20, between the'sleeve 19 and shoulder 13, is a coiled spring 21, which exerts a resistance to the downward movement of said sleeve and is adapted to be compressed to adapt the rod 15 to be adjusted to cause the rollers 16 to bear with greater or less force or pressure on the clothes in the tub. The sleeve 19 is adjusted bymeans ofa superposed nut 22, working-on the threaded portion20 of the shaft and provided with operating-handles 23. By screwing down this nut or sleeve 22 it will be seen that the sleeve 19 may be forced down against the tension of the spring 21 to adjust the rollers for the purpose previously described and that by adjusting this nut up on the shaft 5 the spring willexpand and serve to force the sleeve 13) upward, thereby lifting the rod 15 and drawing the rollers 16 out of contact with the clothes. By means of the spring and adjusting mechanism the agitatorsmay be made to exert as great a pressure upon the clothes as may be desired.-

tendency of the clothes being caught or en tangled about the shaft while the latter isbeing rotated.

A bearing-plate 25 is adjustably mounted upon the upper reduced end of the shaft 5, preferably by screw-threading it upon said shaft, and between this plate and the bottom wall of the box 4 are interposed one or more rows of bearing-balls 26. This construction provides an antifriction thrust-bearing which while allowing the shaft 5 to rotate with a less degree of friction is adapted to take up the upward endwise thrust of said shaft due to the resistance of the clothes in the tub to the pressure thereon of the rollers 16, thus preventing the parts from having an undue endwise play and binding in the box 4.

In the operation of theinvention the clothes to be washed are placed with the suds-water 1in the tub or box 1 andthe nut 23 adjusted to force the rod 15 down in the slot 12 to cause the rollers 16 to bear with the desired degree of pressure on the clothes. Then by rotating the shaft 8 through the instrumentality of the crank-handle 10 the shaft 5 will be rotated and the rollers set in action in an obvious manner to wash the clothes.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the'construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A washing-machine comprising a tub or suds-box provided with upper and lower bearings, a vertical drive-shaft journaled in said bearings, a horizontal shaft carrying rollers and slidable vertically on said drive-shaft, means for adjustably supporting the horizontal shaft upon the drive-shaft, a spring for opposing a resistance to the downward movement of the horizontal shaft and its support, and means acting on said supporting means for forcing the same and agitator-shaft downward against the tension of said spring, substantially as described.

2. A washing-machine provided with a vertical drive-shaft having a threaded portion,

' a horizontal shaft mounted to rotate with and slide upon the vertical shaft, a rotating presser carried by the horizontal shaft, a sleeve slidable on the vertical shaft and connected to the horizontal shaft, a spring for opposing a resistance to the downward movement of the sleeve on the vertical shaft, and

a nut upon the threaded portion of the vertical shaft for adjusting the sleeve downward against the tension of said spring, substantially as described.

3. A washing-machine comprising a tub or suds-box having upper and lower bearings, a vertical drive-shaft journaled in said bearings and provided with an enlarged intermediate slotted portion and an upper threaded portion, said slotted portion forming upper and lower shoulders, a horizontal shaft adjustable in said slotted portion and carrying pressers to act upon the clothes, a sleeve slidable on the threaded portion of the vertical shaft and connected to the horizontal shaft, a resistance-spring upon the threaded portion of the vertical shaft between said sleeve and upper shoulder, and a nut upon the threaded portion of the shaft for adjusting said sleeve, substantially as described.

4. A washing-machine comprising a tul) or suds-box having upper and lower hearings, a vertical drive-shaft journaled in said bearings and provided with an enlarged intermediate slotted portion and an upper threaded portion, said slotted portion forming upper and lower shoulders, a horizontal shaft adjustable in said slotted portion and carrying pressers to act upon the clothes, a sleeve slidable on the threaded portion of the vertical shaft and connected to the horizontal shaft, a resistance-spring upon the threaded portion of the vertical shaft between said sleeve and upper shoulder, a sleeve inclosing the vertical shaft between the lower bearing and lower shoulder, and a nut upon the threaded portion of the shaft for adjusting said sleeve, substantially as'described.

5. A washing-machine comprising a tub or suds-box having upper and lower bearings, a vertical drive-shaft journaled' in said bearings and providedwith an enlarged intermediate slotted portion and an upper threaded portion, said slotted portion forming upper and lower shoulders, a horizontal shaft adjustable in said slotted portion and carrying pressers to act upon the clothes, a sleeve slidable on the threaded portion of the vertical shaft and connected to the horizontal shaft, a resistance-spring upon the threaded portion of the vertical shaft between said sleeve and upper shoulder, a thrust-bearing for taking up the upward and endwise thrust of the vertical shaft, a sleeve inclosing the vertical shaft between the lower bearing and lower shoulder, and a nut upon the threaded portion of the shaft for adjusting said sleeve, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN G. L. MYERS.

Witnesses:

ALBERT TINGLE, DOMER MYERS. 

